Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Inj Prev. 2013 Aug;19(4):271-5. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040570. Epub 2013 Jan 15.
Sleepiness has been shown to be a risk factor for road crashes in high-income countries, but has received little attention in low- and middle-income countries. We examined the prevalence of sleepiness and sleep-related disorders among drivers of four-wheel motor vehicles in Fiji.
Using a two-stage cluster sampling roadside survey conducted over 12 months, we recruited a representative sample of people driving four-wheel motor vehicles on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire sought self-report information on driver characteristics including sleep-related measures.
The 752 motor vehicle drivers recruited (84% response rate) were aged 17-75 years, with most driving in Viti Levu undertaken by male subjects (93%), and those identifying with Indian (70%) and Fijian (22%) ethnic groups. Drivers who reported that they were not fully alert accounted for 17% of driving, while a further 1% of driving was undertaken by those who reported having difficulty staying awake or feeling sleepy. A quarter of the driving time among 15-24-year-olds included driving while sleepy or not fully alert, with a similar proportion driving while chronically sleep deprived (ie, with less than five nights of adequate sleep in the previous week=27%). Driving while acutely or chronically sleep deprived was generally more common among Fijians compared with Indians.
Driving while not fully alert is relatively common in Fiji. Sleepiness while driving may be an important contributor to road traffic injuries in this and other low- and middle-income countries.
睡眠不足已被证明是高收入国家发生道路交通事故的一个风险因素，但在中低收入国家却很少受到关注。我们研究了斐济四轮机动车驾驶员中困倦和与睡眠相关的障碍的流行情况。
在为期 12 个月的两阶段聚类抽样路边调查中，我们招募了在斐济维提岛驾驶四轮机动车的人群的代表性样本。使用结构访谈员管理的问卷，收集了与司机特征相关的自我报告信息，包括与睡眠相关的测量。
招募的 752 名机动车驾驶员（84%的回应率）年龄在 17-75 岁之间，大多数驾驶员是男性（93%），其中印度裔（70%）和斐济裔（22%）驾驶员居多。报告自己不完全警觉的驾驶员占驾驶时间的 17%，另有 1%的驾驶员报告说他们难以保持清醒或感到困倦。15-24 岁的驾驶员中有四分之一的驾驶时间包括困倦或不完全警觉时的驾驶，而同样比例的驾驶员在过去一周内每晚睡眠时间不足五小时（即慢性睡眠不足=27%）。与印度人相比，斐济人在急性或慢性睡眠不足时开车的情况更为普遍。
在斐济，不完全警觉地开车是相对常见的。在开车时困倦可能是导致该地区和其他中低收入国家道路交通事故的一个重要因素。
